Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #99

[SouthAussie]

At the start of the study, before Delta was dominant, unvaccinated people became infected 10 times as often as vaccinated people did.

By the end of study period, when Delta accounted for almost 90 percent of infections, unvaccinated people were five times as likely to get infected as vaccinated people.

Worried About Breakthrough Infections? Here’s How to Navigate This Phase of the Pandemic.

 

[SouthAussie]

Israel is a good example of what is to come in other countries with high vaccination rates. Immunity is reduced over time. Israel was first to be vaccinated, and first to experience reduced immunity, and first to see hospitalizations of double vaccinated patients due to Delta variant.

"Just months ago, Israel was a world leader in vaccinating its population and appeared to be putting a stranglehold on the virus that causes COVID-19, wrestling down its daily case count to double digits — and at times, near zero.

But any potential celebration was short-lived, as the more contagious delta variant gained traction and spread quickly, to the point where Israel's most recent daily case count was around 11,000 — a level not seen since January.

According to some Israeli scientists, this reversal of fortune provides lessons for countries like Canada, as we enter a fourth wave, to remain cautious about letting any guard down — to avoid some of the mistakes their country made.
...

Data showed that of the serious cases being admitted to hospital, around 60 per cent of patients were people who had been fully vaccinated, though most were over 60 or with underlying health conditions.
...

The most cautionary tale for Canada could be observations that the rate of infection has been found to be higher in people vaccinated back in January, compared with people who were vaccinated in April, said Leshem.

"In simple words: That protection against infection is waning over time."

These results were observed in people who were double vaccinated, regardless of age or whether they were immunocompromised, he said.
​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-covid-delta-variant-booster-1.6159472

​

The one thing that I notice missing in these kinds of articles is behaviour.
Individual behaviour dictates a lot of the risk.

Until this pandemic is over, until the mutant viruses are quelled, individual behaviour is going to remain one of the most important things in staying well.

This article gives specifics about what behaviour (gatherings) are considered risky, and what behaviour is relatively safe.


What’s my risk of getting Covid if I’m vaccinated?

To understand why there is no simple answer to this question, think about another common risk: driving in a snowstorm.
While we know that tens of thousands of people are injured or killed each year on icy roads, your individual risk depends on local conditions, the speed at which you travel, whether you’re wearing a seatbelt, the safety features on your car and whether you encounter a reckless driver on the road.

Your individual risk for Covid after vaccination also depends on local conditions, your overall health, the precautions you take and how often you are exposed to unvaccinated people who could be infected.

“People want to be told what to do — is it safe if I do this?” said Dr. Sharon Balter, director of the division of communicable disease control and prevention at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“What we can say is, ‘These are the things that are more risky, and these are the things that are less risky.’”

Worried About Breakthrough Infections? Here’s How to Navigate This Phase of the Pandemic.

 

[Cool Cats]

Pandemic = Finding out who your friends really are to you √
and who they really are as a person √

A doctor says she was uninvited from her best friend's wedding because she's a healthcare worker

A doctor says she was uninvited from a best friend's wedding, just days before she was due to attend, for being a healthcare worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Emily Long, who describes herself as a plastic-surgery resident in Boston, said that she has spent "thousands of dollars" on the celebrations for her friend and used "limited vacation time" to fly to Texas for the wedding.

Tell me about a time when you were uninvited because you work in healthcare

Have an entire paychecks worth of plane tickets and a packed suitcase to nowhere now.

Long said she was flying out after a 28-hour shift and messaged her friend to reassure her that she was taking COVID-19 precautions.

"When I texted her this morning to let her know that I was being tested and taking all these precautions before I flew in an attempt to make her feel comfortable, she totally freaked out when she found out that I take care of sick people," Long said in the video.

"Who would have thought that a doctor takes care of sick people? I don't know," she added.

Long then said she was uninvited because she made her friend and other people "uncomfortable," before adding that her plane ticket to Texas was nonrefundable.

In the end she exchanged her ticket for flight credits, opting instead to work now that she no longer needed the vacation time.

"I am working because I have a commitment to my job and to my patients and to my program to, you know, really be a professional," she said.

 

[JaneEyre]

Pandemic = Finding out who your friends really are to you √
and who they really are as a person √

A doctor says she was uninvited from her best friend's wedding because she's a healthcare worker

A doctor says she was uninvited from a best friend's wedding, just days before she was due to attend, for being a healthcare worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Emily Long, who describes herself as a plastic-surgery resident in Boston, said that she has spent "thousands of dollars" on the celebrations for her friend and used "limited vacation time" to fly to Texas for the wedding.

Tell me about a time when you were uninvited because you work in healthcare

Have an entire paychecks worth of plane tickets and a packed suitcase to nowhere now.

Long said she was flying out after a 28-hour shift and messaged her friend to reassure her that she was taking COVID-19 precautions.

"When I texted her this morning to let her know that I was being tested and taking all these precautions before I flew in an attempt to make her feel comfortable, she totally freaked out when she found out that I take care of sick people," Long said in the video.

"Who would have thought that a doctor takes care of sick people? I don't know," she added.

Long then said she was uninvited because she made her friend and other people "uncomfortable," before adding that her plane ticket to Texas was nonrefundable.

In the end she exchanged her ticket for flight credits, opting instead to work now that she no longer needed the vacation time.

"I am working because I have a commitment to my job and to my patients and to my program to, you know, really be a professional," she said.

Wow. I bet the doctor is more cautious than the average guest at the wedding.

 

[10ofRods]

That's not what the actual infection data shows, though. The protection is not stronger at 8 months. So they can speculate all day long about "stronger" cells, actual data is not showing that to be true.

Source please? This is quite a major claim.

 

[10ofRods]

Israel is a good example of what is to come in other countries with high vaccination rates. Immunity is reduced over time. Israel was first to be vaccinated, and first to experience reduced immunity, and first to see hospitalizations of double vaccinated patients due to Delta variant.

"Just months ago, Israel was a world leader in vaccinating its population and appeared to be putting a stranglehold on the virus that causes COVID-19, wrestling down its daily case count to double digits — and at times, near zero.

But any potential celebration was short-lived, as the more contagious delta variant gained traction and spread quickly, to the point where Israel's most recent daily case count was around 11,000 — a level not seen since January.

According to some Israeli scientists, this reversal of fortune provides lessons for countries like Canada, as we enter a fourth wave, to remain cautious about letting any guard down — to avoid some of the mistakes their country made.
...

Data showed that of the serious cases being admitted to hospital, around 60 per cent of patients were people who had been fully vaccinated, though most were over 60 or with underlying health conditions.
...

The most cautionary tale for Canada could be observations that the rate of infection has been found to be higher in people vaccinated back in January, compared with people who were vaccinated in April, said Leshem.

"In simple words: That protection against infection is waning over time."

These results were observed in people who were double vaccinated, regardless of age or whether they were immunocompromised, he said.
​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-covid-delta-variant-booster-1.6159472

​

Let's be clear about the difference between "infection" and "death-dealing illness." Kids get infected with COVID all the time - because they have immunity similar to the vaccinated. They pass it on.

But they do not become severely ill as often (way way less often) and they rarely die.

That's the difference.

The current research is merely and solely (at least in the US) almost exclusively about people who test positive after vaccination, not about people whose symptoms are less (like a kids').

That's a huge difference.

 

[10ofRods]

At the start of the study, before Delta was dominant, unvaccinated people became infected 10 times as often as vaccinated people did.

By the end of study period, when Delta accounted for almost 90 percent of infections, unvaccinated people were five times as likely to get infected as vaccinated people.

Worried About Breakthrough Infections? Here’s How to Navigate This Phase of the Pandemic.

So...a twofold increase (from .25 to .5% of all cases?) Thank you so much for looking this up.

 

[anneg]

At the start of the study, before Delta was dominant, unvaccinated people became infected 10 times as often as vaccinated people did.

By the end of study period, when Delta accounted for almost 90 percent of infections, unvaccinated people were five times as likely to get infected as vaccinated people.

Worried About Breakthrough Infections? Here’s How to Navigate This Phase of the Pandemic.

The one thing that I notice missing in these kinds of articles is behaviour.
Individual behaviour dictates a lot of the risk.

Until this pandemic is over, until the mutant viruses are quelled, individual behaviour is going to remain one of the most important things in staying well.

This article gives specifics about what behaviour (gatherings) are considered risky, and what behaviour is relatively safe.


What’s my risk of getting Covid if I’m vaccinated?

To understand why there is no simple answer to this question, think about another common risk: driving in a snowstorm.
While we know that tens of thousands of people are injured or killed each year on icy roads, your individual risk depends on local conditions, the speed at which you travel, whether you’re wearing a seatbelt, the safety features on your car and whether you encounter a reckless driver on the road.

Your individual risk for Covid after vaccination also depends on local conditions, your overall health, the precautions you take and how often you are exposed to unvaccinated people who could be infected.

“People want to be told what to do — is it safe if I do this?” said Dr. Sharon Balter, director of the division of communicable disease control and prevention at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“What we can say is, ‘These are the things that are more risky, and these are the things that are less risky.’”

Worried About Breakthrough Infections? Here’s How to Navigate This Phase of the Pandemic.

Thanks for posting about this article--it's a good read.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Some good news from NZ, but we're not out of the woods yet. I do think the early nationwide lockdown may have saved us from lasting community harm.

New Zealand sees success in curbing Delta outbreak as new cases plunge

 

[otto]

Let's be clear about the difference between "infection" and "death-dealing illness." Kids get infected with COVID all the time - because they have immunity similar to the vaccinated. They pass it on.

But they do not become severely ill as often (way way less often) and they rarely die.

That's the difference.

The current research is merely and solely (at least in the US) almost exclusively about people who test positive after vaccination, not about people whose symptoms are less (like a kids').

That's a huge difference.

​

What we are hearing from countries that were first to successfully inoculate most of the population is that, after 6-8 months, people who are double vaccinated are in hospital with severe covid symptoms. In Israel, where the first to be vaccinated were older adults, that demographic group was the first to experience so many "breakthrough" cases that breakthrough was the wrong term. Since then, what is evident is that breakthrough cases occur in people who had been double vaccinated 6-8 months earlier.

Per the CBC article I linked in comment #841, the "rate of infection has been found to be higher in people vaccinated back in January, compared with people who were vaccinated in April ... "In simple words: That protection against infection is waning over time."

This is not a situation where, 8 months after double vaccines, immunity is the same as it was 4 months earlier. This appears to be a situation where people who are double vaccinated can become very ill with the Delta virus 6-8 months after vaccinations. In Israel, 60% of hospitalized covid patients are double vaccinated 6-8 months prior to becoming ill.

"Israel has among the world’s highest levels of vaccination for COVID-19, with 78% of those 12 and older fully vaccinated, the vast majority with the Pfizer vaccine. Yet the country is now logging one of the world’s highest infection rates, with nearly 650 new cases daily per million people. More than half are in fully vaccinated people, underscoring the extraordinary transmissibility of the Delta variant and stoking concerns that the benefits of vaccination ebb over time.
...

What is clear is that “breakthrough” cases are not the rare events the term implies. As of 15 August, 514 Israelis were hospitalized with severe or critical COVID-19, a 31% increase from just 4 days earlier. Of the 514, 59% were fully vaccinated. Of the vaccinated, 87% were 60 or older. “There are so many breakthrough infections that they dominate and most of the hospitalized patients are actually vaccinated,” says Uri Shalit, a bioinformatician at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) who has consulted on COVID-19 for the government. “One of the big stories from Israel [is]: ‘Vaccines work, but not well enough.’”
​

Aug 16, 2021
AAAS

Sep 01, 2021
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-covid-delta-variant-booster-1.6159472

 

[SouthAussie]

​

What we are hearing from countries that were first to successfully inoculate most of the population is that, after 6-8 months, people who are double vaccinated are in hospital with severe covid symptoms. In Israel, where the first to be vaccinated were older adults, that demographic group was the first to experience so many "breakthrough" cases that breakthrough was the wrong term. Since then, what is evident is that breakthrough cases occur in people who had been double vaccinated 6-8 months earlier.

Per the CBC article I linked in comment #841, the "rate of infection has been found to be higher in people vaccinated back in January, compared with people who were vaccinated in April ... "In simple words: That protection against infection is waning over time."

This is not a situation where, 8 months after double vaccines, immunity is the same as it was 4 months earlier. This appears to be a situation where people who are double vaccinated can become very ill with the Delta virus 6-8 months after vaccinations. In Israel, 60% of hospitalized covid patients are double vaccinated 6-8 months prior to becoming ill.

"Israel has among the world’s highest levels of vaccination for COVID-19, with 78% of those 12 and older fully vaccinated, the vast majority with the Pfizer vaccine. Yet the country is now logging one of the world’s highest infection rates, with nearly 650 new cases daily per million people. More than half are in fully vaccinated people, underscoring the extraordinary transmissibility of the Delta variant and stoking concerns that the benefits of vaccination ebb over time.
...

What is clear is that “breakthrough” cases are not the rare events the term implies. As of 15 August, 514 Israelis were hospitalized with severe or critical COVID-19, a 31% increase from just 4 days earlier. Of the 514, 59% were fully vaccinated. Of the vaccinated, 87% were 60 or older. “There are so many breakthrough infections that they dominate and most of the hospitalized patients are actually vaccinated,” says Uri Shalit, a bioinformatician at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) who has consulted on COVID-19 for the government. “One of the big stories from Israel [is]: ‘Vaccines work, but not well enough.’”
​

Aug 16, 2021
AAAS

Sep 01, 2021
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-covid-delta-variant-booster-1.6159472

The problem is that Israel has been trying to have a 'normal' life. No social distancing, no masking, no restrictions at all.
We can't have a 'normal' life with Delta. Vaccinations or no vaccinations.

It is only two weeks ago that Israel decided to cap mass gatherings. And even then their caps are pretty huge.
1,000 people at a mass indoor event, 5,000 people at a mass outdoor event. 50 people allowed to your indoor private function, 100 people allowed to your outdoor private function.

Their death rate - for the whole of last week - was 118 people. They remain 80th in the world in deaths per million. (The US ranks 25th in the world in this category.)

Let it be a lesson to us all .... mass gatherings, while this virus is around, should be a no no. Social distancing needs to be maintained. Behaviour needs to be moderated. imo

New caps on gatherings take effect amid sky-high COVID infections
COVID Live Update: 219,975,001 Cases and 4,557,307 Deaths from the Coronavirus - Worldometer

 

[ilovewings]

Thanks for posting about this article--it's a good read.

yes- it is an excellent read

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Under-12s are increasingly catching COVID-19. How sick are they getting and when will we be able to vaccinate them?

We’re expecting advice from ATAGI as to whether the rollout should be extended to all 12 to 15-year-olds, as countries like the United States and Canada have done.

But where does that leave children under 12? We know they’re making up a large proportion of new infections in Australia’s current outbreaks, which was not the case last year.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

‘Jabba the Bus' to take regional vaccination drive onto the road

Victoria's first mobile vaccine hub will hit the road within days, delivering vaccinations to isolated residents of regional Victoria while thousands of people prepare to leave home quarantine in Shepparton.

Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp said the vaccine bus would ensure everyone had access to immunisation regardless of where they lived.

"We'll be aiming to go to those people who can't get to vaccination centres," he said.

It will have three vaccination pods and be suitable for people who have disabilities.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Amazing stats (I love looking at these local slices). At least you've got 50% vaccinated, despite DiSantis's intense work to make sure no one gets vaccinated.

Then, add in the 15% of Floridians who have likely had COVID and are not vaccinated. You're gonna get there! Sadly, it will be through 25-35% of Floridians getting COVID over the next year or two. Of those, at least 1% will die and 10% may require (although not always get) hospitalization.

What is your impression of what's going on in those counties? Those are some of the lowest stats I've seen - are there also very high COVID rates there? I know Florida's general positivity rate is pretty high.

I do believe a lot of people don't fully understand how rural some parts of the state are. <modsnip>

I only know a couple of people in these counties, but their views are the same as rural Western North Carolina, where I have a number of friends.... The rumors, and the lack of reputable larger media coverage (none of these counties are closer to a metropolitan center) leads to constant Misinformation.


The people I know in NC truly truly believe that more people get sick and die from getting the vaccine.
Most of the anit-vaccers I know in FL are political, blended with the misinformation.

I went over to Cedar Key, lovely spot in that bend down the Gulf Coast from the Panhandle.... you would actually think Covid didn't even exist......I know i can always stay outside there...but it was still eerie. Bordering on a sci-fi movie...

Rural, North Floridians lagging further behind in COVID-19 vaccinations

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Amazing stats (I love looking at these local slices). At least you've got 50% vaccinated, despite DiSantis's intense work to make sure no one gets vaccinated.

Then, add in the 15% of Floridians who have likely had COVID and are not vaccinated. You're gonna get there! Sadly, it will be through 25-35% of Floridians getting COVID over the next year or two. Of those, at least 1% will die and 10% may require (although not always get) hospitalization.

What is your impression of what's going on in those counties? Those are some of the lowest stats I've seen - are there also very high COVID rates there? I know Florida's general positivity rate is pretty high.

And don't forget how much DeSantis has made the antibody treatment free and easy to get... in many cities and towns here. He does PR events at these centers all the time, encouraging everyone regardless of diagnosis, prescription or referral.

And the strange strange thing here is.... He DOESN"T Say "OK Folks, I hope you appreciate this " " Medicare for ALL"".

Eventually Insurance Industry is going to have to handle this. This is not Free. And is there a compromised ethical issue that it seems to only be going to unvaccinated people?

And there are no Department of Health warnings against Ivermectin.


Child Psychiatrist Advising Florida Gov. DeSantis On Covid-19 Has Pushed Ivermectin

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Yay ... ½ a million doses of Pfizer have arrived in Sydney overnight. Our govt did a deal with Singapore. ½ a million doses of their soon-to-expire vaccines, which we will replace for them in December when our supply has become more plentiful.

Touch down: Extra Pfizer jabs arrive

YEA... i dug out the pom poms....

 

[jjenny]

The ultimate irony are the people who claim they won't take the vaccine because they are afraid of side effects, have not problem taking horse medicine that has all kind of side effects.

 

[SouthAussie]

YEA... i dug out the pom poms....

The even better news is that we have 4 million doses headed our way from the UK!


Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia would receive 4 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this month, in a swap deal with the UK similar to the one announced with Singapore earlier in the week for half a million doses.

The deal is designed to bring forward the country’s supply of the vaccine as it races to inoculate 70 to 80 per cent of people aged over 16. “The plane’s on the tarmac now, it will be leaving tomorrow and those doses will be coming over the course of the next few weeks,” Mr Morrison said.

As it happened

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Various states release their breakthrough numbers.
"In the last 30 days, vaccinated individuals in Michigan have represented 28.1% of hospitalizations, and nearly 15.4% of COVID-19 deaths, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. That’s 6,151 out of 26,272 total cases, 198 out of 704 total hospitalizations, and 10 out of 65 deaths."
COVID risks for the fully vaccinated: What we know and what we don’t about Delta - mlive.com

The article hints at the age factor, but I didn't see specific ages of the numbers you provide.

I always remember a doctor I heard on the news---saying the elderly are ALWAYS going to be more stricken with Covid, and with breakthrough cases.

The elderly will simply not build up as many antibodies from the vaccine.